I have't really been in the Christmas spirit this holiday season. Not exactly sure what it is, though. So to help me spread the holiday cheer, I'll let other animators do it for me.
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Monday, December 20, 2010
Taking A Break For Now
Tis the season to get tangled up in a lot of things. So here I am between things I want to do and things I have to do. Here's what I got. I want to continue working out so I can reach my goal of breaking the 300 lb. barrier by the end of the year. It is difficult because now is the holiday season and nothing around me but food and temptation. I have my day of indulgence and it overlapped a bit into the following day. Those damn cookies were still on the table calling to me! But now the food is gone...until this weekend...Christmas Day. I will eat in moderation and will not go overboard. I did fine over the Thanksgiving holiday and lost whatever weight I had put on. The thing is right now there are other things that I need to get done in a certain amount of time.
I need to finish a couple of animation shots by the end of the year. I need to have them done and rendered and place on my reel no later than January 3, 2011. That is the closing date for applications for the apprenticeship at the Reel FX studio in Dallas. This is something I really want. This is something I really need to do if I am ever to have a careen in animation. Why am I wanting to devote so much time to a single studio? Because it's here in Texas and not that far from home. Plus I have friends and family in the area. Plus plus, I've seen their work and it is amazing.
So I think I am going to take a break from working out until I have my reel completed?
WHY?
Ok, here's my reasoning. On days when I have to go to work in the evening, I only have a small window of opportunity to do what I need to do. If I workout that will take away at least an hour or two of that time. That only leaves me with another hour or two to get anything done. But, if I had the entire four hours I could do a whole lot more. Plus with other things going on, family and social gatherings, I just run out of time. Not that I'm complaining about that, it's just that my demo reel is always in the back of my mind telling me, "you need to work on it and get it done NOW!"
That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
I need to finish a couple of animation shots by the end of the year. I need to have them done and rendered and place on my reel no later than January 3, 2011. That is the closing date for applications for the apprenticeship at the Reel FX studio in Dallas. This is something I really want. This is something I really need to do if I am ever to have a careen in animation. Why am I wanting to devote so much time to a single studio? Because it's here in Texas and not that far from home. Plus I have friends and family in the area. Plus plus, I've seen their work and it is amazing.
So I think I am going to take a break from working out until I have my reel completed?
WHY?
Ok, here's my reasoning. On days when I have to go to work in the evening, I only have a small window of opportunity to do what I need to do. If I workout that will take away at least an hour or two of that time. That only leaves me with another hour or two to get anything done. But, if I had the entire four hours I could do a whole lot more. Plus with other things going on, family and social gatherings, I just run out of time. Not that I'm complaining about that, it's just that my demo reel is always in the back of my mind telling me, "you need to work on it and get it done NOW!"
That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Progress in Motion
I've been looking at my progression photos over the past year and decided to put them all together. I did some reading and found out how to do that in Photoshop.
And the winner is....
After the big speech Patrick gave about how much the money would be helpful to him and his family, he BETTER have won!
This was the winner, and my pick, of the "at home" prize: Mark!
Out of all the contestants this season, I think he had the most heart out of them all.
And here's a sneak peek at the upcoming Season 11 which starts January 4, 2011.
LOTS of new twists!! Once again THIS is now the heaviest cast. A former Olympic gold medalist is now a contestant. And now, for the first time ever, the cast will have a choice of to train with Bob and Jillian or TWO NEW TRAINERS at a secret location! Sounds like fun!!!
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
One Year Later
Today marks the one year anniversary of my decision to begin a healthier and more active lifestyle. December 14, 2009, I weighed 435 lbs. Today, December 14, 2010, I weigh 305 lbs. So far I've lost a total of 130 lbs.
It has been a rough journey but I kept at it. To think, one year later and I am still working out. Granted, my regiment has not been as strict as it was in the beginning, but I am STILL working out. My diet has changed up quite a bit. I no longer frequent many of the drive-thru restaurants like I used to. Sorry Burger King, McDonalds and Whataburger. I knew thee well. We had some good times. I still stop by from time to time but now it's only once a month or less. Nowadays the only "fast food" restaurant I regularly frequent is Subway! They have some very delicious sandwiches.
The thing for me was not the eating out, but eating in. I knew when I started last year that I could do the exercise. I did it once before and lost about 60 lbs. But I was not eating right, plateaued and gained it all plus a whole lot more. I knew my cooking habits at home were going to have to change. Being that I am a fan of the TV show "The Biggest Loser" I picked up one of their latest books,
"The Biggest Loser: Simple Swaps" and read it cover to cover. I learned a lot of what to eat and how to make healthy alternatives. I even picked up a few new recipes. All great and helpful information.
As for the workouts, I knew I would have to do them at home. I really couldn't afford a gym membership and I'm not really a gym type of guy. I tried Gold's Gym once and it just didn't appeal to me. Plus it was all the way across town and took me about 20 minutes just to get there. By that time I would have been done with one of my workouts. So I picked up some weights from Academy, some of The Biggest Losers DVDs from Best Buy and Barnes & Noble, and started working out. In the beginning I even used the dreaded elliptical machine, until it broke on me. Then I switched it up to a punching bag out in the garage. (Thank you, Geoff). That really worked up a sweat, especially the way I train. When I workout I suit up. I put on shorts, sweat pants, shirt and a long sleeved zip up hoody. If after one workout that shirt is not soaked thru and thru, I zip it back up and do another workout. I don't feel satisfied until that shirt is completely drenched.
Another plus has been with my clothes. My wardrobed has doubled in size. I held on to a lot of shirts and pants that either didn't fit at all or were too snug. A lot of them are size XXL. At my heaviest I had to wear a XXXL shirt and pants size 54" waist. Now I've dropped an "X" from my clothing and my pants have gone down to a 46" waist! And the best part is that I can now buy clothes at normal retail shops! I had to buy all my clothes from Casual Male Big & Tall where a shirt and a pair of pants can run me about $75. Now I can buy Wrangler's jeans and a t-shirt at Wal-Mart and Target and spend $30 tops! Oh, this is so grand!! I can buy a plain t-shirt for $10 where Casual Male would charge at least $25. So long, Casual Male!! Hello Target and Wal-Mart!!!
The best part of all this has been hearing and reading all the compliments from my friends and family. My folks have been so proud of all I've done. My coworkers keep pushing me along and giving me new nicknames like "skinny" and "flaco". And thanks to facebook, I can keep in instant contact with all my friends near and far who I inspire and in turn inspire me. Some of them have been inspired to get up and get moving after reading my posts. One of my cousins in Houston asked me about my workouts because he like reading my inspirational posts. He said he started working out because I helped motivate him. Paying it forward like this is such an amazing feeling.
I will keep fighting this on going battle of the bulge. I will not give up until I reach my goal of at least 250 lbs. My resolution for 2011 will be to reach that mark by my next birthday on June 15. Thanks again to all who have supported me on this journey. I couldn't have done it without your kind and loving words of encouragement. Thank you and God bless!
It has been a rough journey but I kept at it. To think, one year later and I am still working out. Granted, my regiment has not been as strict as it was in the beginning, but I am STILL working out. My diet has changed up quite a bit. I no longer frequent many of the drive-thru restaurants like I used to. Sorry Burger King, McDonalds and Whataburger. I knew thee well. We had some good times. I still stop by from time to time but now it's only once a month or less. Nowadays the only "fast food" restaurant I regularly frequent is Subway! They have some very delicious sandwiches.
The thing for me was not the eating out, but eating in. I knew when I started last year that I could do the exercise. I did it once before and lost about 60 lbs. But I was not eating right, plateaued and gained it all plus a whole lot more. I knew my cooking habits at home were going to have to change. Being that I am a fan of the TV show "The Biggest Loser" I picked up one of their latest books,
 |
As for the workouts, I knew I would have to do them at home. I really couldn't afford a gym membership and I'm not really a gym type of guy. I tried Gold's Gym once and it just didn't appeal to me. Plus it was all the way across town and took me about 20 minutes just to get there. By that time I would have been done with one of my workouts. So I picked up some weights from Academy, some of The Biggest Losers DVDs from Best Buy and Barnes & Noble, and started working out. In the beginning I even used the dreaded elliptical machine, until it broke on me. Then I switched it up to a punching bag out in the garage. (Thank you, Geoff). That really worked up a sweat, especially the way I train. When I workout I suit up. I put on shorts, sweat pants, shirt and a long sleeved zip up hoody. If after one workout that shirt is not soaked thru and thru, I zip it back up and do another workout. I don't feel satisfied until that shirt is completely drenched.
Another plus has been with my clothes. My wardrobed has doubled in size. I held on to a lot of shirts and pants that either didn't fit at all or were too snug. A lot of them are size XXL. At my heaviest I had to wear a XXXL shirt and pants size 54" waist. Now I've dropped an "X" from my clothing and my pants have gone down to a 46" waist! And the best part is that I can now buy clothes at normal retail shops! I had to buy all my clothes from Casual Male Big & Tall where a shirt and a pair of pants can run me about $75. Now I can buy Wrangler's jeans and a t-shirt at Wal-Mart and Target and spend $30 tops! Oh, this is so grand!! I can buy a plain t-shirt for $10 where Casual Male would charge at least $25. So long, Casual Male!! Hello Target and Wal-Mart!!!
The best part of all this has been hearing and reading all the compliments from my friends and family. My folks have been so proud of all I've done. My coworkers keep pushing me along and giving me new nicknames like "skinny" and "flaco". And thanks to facebook, I can keep in instant contact with all my friends near and far who I inspire and in turn inspire me. Some of them have been inspired to get up and get moving after reading my posts. One of my cousins in Houston asked me about my workouts because he like reading my inspirational posts. He said he started working out because I helped motivate him. Paying it forward like this is such an amazing feeling.
I will keep fighting this on going battle of the bulge. I will not give up until I reach my goal of at least 250 lbs. My resolution for 2011 will be to reach that mark by my next birthday on June 15. Thanks again to all who have supported me on this journey. I couldn't have done it without your kind and loving words of encouragement. Thank you and God bless!
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Almost there.....
With only one week until my anniversary date, I am so close to reaching my goal I don't want to stop now. I keep checking my weight every day and things are looking better and better. I started doing the P90X workouts on a more consistent basis. Six days with a one day break. I don't want to post any numbers just yet. Not until I have surpassed my goal by at least five pounds and maintained it for about a week. In the past I have seen the scale fluctuate back and forth by three to eight pounds from time to time.
On December 14, I will post new photos and new pics. I will show a side by side comparison which will be pretty amazing to see.
With 51 weeks down and one week to go, I'm feeling pretty confident that I will reach my one year goal. For 2011, I plan to reach my ultimate goal of 246 lbs.
On December 14, I will post new photos and new pics. I will show a side by side comparison which will be pretty amazing to see.
With 51 weeks down and one week to go, I'm feeling pretty confident that I will reach my one year goal. For 2011, I plan to reach my ultimate goal of 246 lbs.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
The Final Stretch of 2010
I am now in the final stretch of my goal. I have set up many challenges and accomplished most of them, but this is the big one. I have one month to get under 300 lbs. My anniversary date is only two weeks away. It would be awesome if I reach it by then. Yes, I only need to lose about 5 - 6 lbs., but with my track record recently it is a bigger feat than you think. Thanksgiving has come and gone and I believe I only gained about a pound or two. I didn't gain it ON Thanksgiving day, it was the following weekend. On Thanksgiving I actually got up really early and did the Plyo X workout. Over the weekend, however, I ate junk and fast food and did not exercise at all.
So now it all comes down to this. I have plateaued around 305 - 308. Why? Because I have not been counting my calories and have not been exercising consistently. The exercise I KNOW I can do, it's the calorie counting that's going to hinder me. According to The Biggest Loser books, if you want to lose weight you need eat a certain amount of calories. To figure out that number you take your current weight and multiply it by seven. That is how many calories you are to consume in a day. If you weigh over 300 lbs. you stick to 2100 calories a day (300 x 7). for me to lose more weight I think I need to start consuming less than 2100 calories a day. Also, I need to kick up the exercise.
Today I feel I consumed under 2100 calories for the day. I do need to more consistent about drinking water, though. I haven't had much time at work, what with the holiday rush already upon us, to even stop for a drink of water. As for the exercise, I did three P90X workouts. I started with the Shoulders & Back workout, followed by the Ab Ripper X workout, and finished it all off with Kenpo X. I think I burned a few calories there.
Today is Wednesday, December 1. I am making this my "Day 1" of working out. I will follow the routine for the next four weeks and hope to achieve the results I am shooting for. If I get under 300 lbs. by the end of the year, great! If I get under 300 lbs. in two weeks, AWESOME!
BUT WHEN WILL I LEARN?! I cannot afford to stray from my diet at all if I am EVER going to beat this weight problem. I can't do three days of working out then throw it all away on a big, unhealthy meal in one night. I've done that before and regretted it the second I got home.
On last night's episode of The Biggest Loser, they showed how the voted off contestants look now. Mark started off at 421 lbs. Today he weighs 248 lbs. and the finale is only a few weeks away. THAT is what my target weight is! I'm only about 50 lbs. away from reaching that goal! I NEED to kick this in high gear. I want to get under 300 lbs. I'm tired of being this big. I want to drop another "X" from my clothing. I want to get down to a 40" pant size.
So now it all comes down to this. I have plateaued around 305 - 308. Why? Because I have not been counting my calories and have not been exercising consistently. The exercise I KNOW I can do, it's the calorie counting that's going to hinder me. According to The Biggest Loser books, if you want to lose weight you need eat a certain amount of calories. To figure out that number you take your current weight and multiply it by seven. That is how many calories you are to consume in a day. If you weigh over 300 lbs. you stick to 2100 calories a day (300 x 7). for me to lose more weight I think I need to start consuming less than 2100 calories a day. Also, I need to kick up the exercise.
Today I feel I consumed under 2100 calories for the day. I do need to more consistent about drinking water, though. I haven't had much time at work, what with the holiday rush already upon us, to even stop for a drink of water. As for the exercise, I did three P90X workouts. I started with the Shoulders & Back workout, followed by the Ab Ripper X workout, and finished it all off with Kenpo X. I think I burned a few calories there.
Today is Wednesday, December 1. I am making this my "Day 1" of working out. I will follow the routine for the next four weeks and hope to achieve the results I am shooting for. If I get under 300 lbs. by the end of the year, great! If I get under 300 lbs. in two weeks, AWESOME!
BUT WHEN WILL I LEARN?! I cannot afford to stray from my diet at all if I am EVER going to beat this weight problem. I can't do three days of working out then throw it all away on a big, unhealthy meal in one night. I've done that before and regretted it the second I got home.
On last night's episode of The Biggest Loser, they showed how the voted off contestants look now. Mark started off at 421 lbs. Today he weighs 248 lbs. and the finale is only a few weeks away. THAT is what my target weight is! I'm only about 50 lbs. away from reaching that goal! I NEED to kick this in high gear. I want to get under 300 lbs. I'm tired of being this big. I want to drop another "X" from my clothing. I want to get down to a 40" pant size.
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